State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said the schools, among 33 nominated across California, were singled out because they are helping to close the achievement gap among students.

"They were selected because of their success over the last five years in increasing the percentage of their students achieving at the proficient and advanced levels in mathematics and English-language arts,'' O'Connell said.

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes elementary and secondary schools that are both academically superior and have demonstrated dramatic gains in student achievement, while serving an economically disadvantaged population of students.

The 2011 nominees were either previous California Distinguished Schools or California Title I Academic Achieving Award schools.

The winning schools are scheduled to be announced next September by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.